It was Saturday night, and Ted and Tracy were huddled together in the booth at MacLaren's, enjoying a few drinks and sharing a plate of fries.

They were waiting for Barney and Robin, who had flown back from their honeymoon earlier in the day, and Barney had called him up asking him to meet them at the bar that evening, and to bring Tracy along.

So there they were, Ted giving Tracy the 411 on what to eat there (and what not to), sharing which waiters offered the best service, and overall just enjoying one another's company. They'd been seeing each other for only a week-and-a-half and, despite them talking things pretty slow, Ted felt that they were very much acting like a couple.

Since Marshall and Lily left, Tracy had been true to her promise to Lily, to be there for him. They grabbed dinner a couple of times, and they even spent an evening hanging out at her place, just watching some TV. At Ted's urging, Tracy even tried to teach him to play her guitar, to disastrous results—she just started kissing him passionately to distract him from the lesson, which she feared fruitless. ("You have no rhythm!" she cried, exasperated.) It worked out; Ted rather enjoyed making out with her on her sofa instead, anyway.

He even had the very boyfriend-y task of accompanying her at the mall. She had gotten the internship at the UN, and needed a few new outfits for the office. So he was the dutiful co-shopper, holding her purse while she tried on clothes, gave his feedback on the outfits she tried, and even helped zip and unzip her when asked. It was a very dangerous request, however, as he got a few glimpses of her purple lace bra. Getting turned on in a Macy's dressing room definitely wasn't a good idea, so he did his very best to keep his cool. (Until he got home and treated himself to a cold shower.)

And on days when they were apart, they weren't far from each other's minds. On Thursday, Tracy was out with some girlfriends for happy hour, leaving Ted to his own devices. Which was fine: he had to unpack a few boxes he had originally put in storage before he was to leave for Chicago. And since he had spent most of the 10 days following the wedding with Tracy, he was happy to have the free time to organize his apartment. Although being with Tracy was clearly the more fun alternative.

After a couple of hours decorating the living room, and satisfied with the final result, Ted realized it was getting late. He ate a quick dinner, took a shower, and as he was getting ready for bed, he received a text from Tracy, who had just gotten home. In the darkness of their respective bedrooms, they texted well into the early hours of the morning, Tracy telling him about her night out, asking how his unpacking went. Their back-and-forth messages were getting bolder and bolder as the time went on, and some of their repartee dangled dangerously over risqué territory, with both parties making rather suggestive texts, innocent as written, but dripping with innuendo and subtext. Looking at the clock, Ted saw that it was nearing 2 o'clock in the morning. Remembering his mother's golden rule, Ted knew he didn't want to take their conversation to a level they weren't quite ready for. He would much rather talk to her—and do all the things he had in mind to her—in person, and all in good time.

Ted couldn't remember a time or a relationship where he was this content, this satisfied, this... settled. Tracy had a calm personality—albeit a little bit of an adorable spaz when she got overexcited about things—and he was easily relaxed in her presence. She had an appreciation for the little things, loved quiet time (she was a rapt listener), but also seemed to talk more than Ted did at times. He didn't feel so alone anymore; with his friends all paired up, Ted had slowly been losing his resolve, certain that his elusive search for "the one" would yield nothing. And then came this woman who just lifted him up and gave him hope again.

He looked over at her now, as she downed her beer and pored over the menu. "Omigod, what on earth is a Minnesota Tidal Wave / Robin Scherbatsky? And why is 'Minnesota Tidal Wave' written with a Sharpie?"

"Ah, that's a long story..." Ted began. "It took Marshall forever to add that to every single menu in the place."

"Whatever it's called, it sounds yummy," Tracy pointed out. "Coconut rum, peach schnapps, vanilla vodka, strawberry creme liqueur, cranberry juice, sugar, Maraschino cherries... This is either going to get me really drunk or leave me with a crazy sugar high."

"I say sugar high," Ted offered. "It's not all that potent. Do you want me to get you one?"

"Yes, please," she said sweetly, leaning in to give him a 'thank you' kiss.

Ted smiled and headed to the bar to get her drink. As he waited for Carl to assemble the concoction, Barney and Robin entered the bar.

"The Stinsons are back in the 212, y'all!" Barney announced as he entered MacLaren's, with Robin by his side. "Sorry, ladies, the Barnacle is now anchored to this lovely Canadian vessel to my right!"

Ted chuckled as they walked towards him at the bar. He gave hem both a hug. They were glowing, both from their tanned skin, and the fact that they were radiating in newly-married bliss. "Welcome home, guys!"

"And a 'what up!' to you, Teddy Westside!" said Barney, then cutting to the chase. "So where's this girl of yours?"

They made their way over to the booth, and Tracy stood up. "You guys know her already, but this is Tracy."

"She has a name!" Barney shouted, pulling her into a hug. "Nice to see you again Tracy, formerly Bass Player Girl, formerly Bus Bench Girl!"

"Nice to see you again, Diaper Man," she said, looking over at Robin. "You too, Robin."

Robin laughed, and also pulled Tracy in for a hug.

"Wow, all your friends really are huggers," Tracy said to Ted.

"These two normally aren't..." Ted admitted, suspicious.

"This girl made our wedding possible!" Barney explained. "I would not be with this lovely woman by my side if it weren't for her. Carl! A round of your best scotch!"

They all sat down, and Tracy waved off Barney's praise. "You're giving me too much credit," she said modestly. "How was Maui?"

"Beautiful," Robin said. "Surf, sand, sun... Kind of sad to be back in the city, I admit."

"You're lucky," said Tracy. "It's been mostly raining this past week here."

"So what have you guys been up to?" asked Barney. "My bro here has never been left to his own devices without his friends for an extended period of time."

"You guys are aware that I am a 35-year-old man, right?" Ted asked.

"Lily did ask me to take care of him while they were away," said Tracy, giving Ted a poke to the side with her elbow. "He needs constant supervision."

Ted chuckled. "I haven't let her out of my sight since I met here," Ted said jokingly although, now that he thought about it, he wasn't that far off.

Carl stopped by their table to drop off their drinks.

"Um, we've just been hanging out," Tracy said. "Ted's been talking about you guys a lot."

Barney smiled smugly and adjusted his tie. "All good things, I'm sure," he said.

"Absolutely, Swarley," said Tracy, trying to contain her laughter. Ted and Robin snickered into their scotch glasses.

"Ted, learn to control your woman!" said Barney. As their laughs persisted, he whined: "You guys promised you were done with that!"

Tracy put up her hands. "Ted did not tell me there was a moratorium on Swarley," he said, feigning innocence. "Hey, Ted, where's the washroom?" she asked him.

He was about to point to the back of the establishment, but Robin offered to help. "Let me show you, Tracy," she said, standing up.

"Oh, thanks," said Tracy, standing up to follow her.

Ted watched the girls walk away, and they seemed to be chatting pleasantly as they left.

Once the girls were out of earshot, Barney leaned forward. "So does Tracy know about the whole Robin thing?" he asked.

The question caught him off-guard. Ted wasn't expecting Barney to bring up the Robin situation since they all seemed to have moved past it. Plus, he felt as if that was a long time, and a whole different world, ago; a world before he met Tracy.

"Um, she does," he admitted. "Told her about our history, told her about Chicago..."

"That's good," Barney said earnestly. "And she was ok with it all?"

"She was pretty cool about it," Ted said, still in awe. "I thought it'd be a sore topic like it was with Victoria, but she understands."

"And how are you doing?" Barney asked.

Ted chuckled. "Way better," he said. "Listen, Barney, I'm sorry about that whole thing. I don't know what came over me. I think I was just... holding onto the past for far too long. I'm over Robin; I've been over her for a long time."

"I know, bro," Barney assured him. "Besides, you seem way more content now, calmer. And you definitely haven't looked at a girl before like you have been doing with Tracy tonight. You've been seeing her for, what? Less than two weeks? And you guys already look sickeningly sweet together. And I mean that in the nicest of ways, of course."

Ted smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? She's pretty amazing."

"Cheers to that," Barney said approvingly and they clinked their glasses.

Ted took a sip of his drink. "So, how's married life?" Ted asked.

"It's indescribable," said Barney, in a truthful tone that Ted hand only witnessed a handful of time in the years he's known him. "To know where... your next bang is coming from, at all times? I mean, how beautiful is that? That's what the church needs to add to its standard wedding vows."

Ted shook his head. Only Barney could talk about consistently getting laid and make it sound oddly poetic.

Robin and Tracy had returned from the washroom, and Ted ordered another round of drinks for them all. It was a night of laughs and good conversation, and both Robin and Barney were really getting along with Tracy. There was gentle ribbing between them that came so naturally, it was as if Tracy belonged to their little gang all along.

"So, Tracy, now that you're dating Ted, this means that we, his friends, can now relinquish a few responsibilities and pass them on to you," Barney told her.

Tracy, amused, glanced at Ted beside her and gave him a wink. "Such as?" she asked, humoring him.

"Well, now it's your job to be on the receiving end of Ted's looooong stories."

"Aw, but I like when he spins his yarns," Tracy said, defending him. "He's a great storyteller."

Ted beamed at Tracy, and then smiled mockingly at Robin and Barney. "A great storyteller!" he repeated, satisfied.

"Ok," said Robin. "We also must warm you about his lame jokes that you will now relieve us from. A classic? His 'shellfish' joke."

"Hey!" Ted said defensively. "I'll have you know, I have not told Tracy my 'shellfish' joke yet."

"Actually," Tracy told him, an apologetic look on her face. "I've heard the 'shellfish' joke."

"Really?" the three of them said in unison.

"Yeah," she explained. "You shared it with my class the day you accidentally taught ECON 305." Ted seemed to recall telling the joke; but, really, he just tried to put that embarrassing day in the back recesses of his mind.

"And," Barney began. "What did you think of it?"

Tracy smiled. "I thought it was funny. He was actually real adorable," she admitted, looking over at Ted with a goofy grin. He grinned back.

Robin knew better. "Tracy..."

"Ok, fine: it was more like 70% funny, 30% pity," she admitted. She glanced over at Ted. "Sorry."

Ted shrugged his shoulders. "70% funny!" he said proudly. "Suck on that, guys!"

"Alright," said Barney, up for the challenge. "Let's discuss Ted's boring facts—"

"Fun facts," Ted corrected him.

"About the Empire State Building," Barney continued.

"And the Chrysler Building," added Robin.

"And Grand Central Terminal," said Barney.

"Oh, and the Brooklyn Bridge!" Robin finished.

Tracy got excited. "Hey, speaking of which, did you guys know that in 1884, P.T. Barnum took 21 elephants across the bridge to prove to people that it was safe and sturdy?!"

"I did!" Ted responded exuberantly. "Did you know..."

"Oh, God, we've got two of them!" Barney groaned to his wife.

After a couple of hours and a few rounds of drinks, the foursome was ready to call it a night. Barney and Robin were jet-lagged and Tracy, who didn't normally spend too much time in bars and had a two-drink limit, was a bit tipsy. She wasn't used to downing a beer, two Minnesota Tidal Waves, a Glen McKenna, and a few glasses of red wine all in the span of a three hours.

"Yeah, I think I need to get this one home," Ted chuckled as Tracy, who seemed to be the sleepy kind of drunk, was leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, you do!" Barney said, nodding his head approvingly. Ted glared at him.

"This was fun, guys," said Robin, sincerely. "It was really great getting to know you, Tracy."

Ted looked at Robin gratefully, relieved that they were both adult enough to move on from all that happened over the course of the wedding weekend, that they could each be happy for one another. He figured they were both running scared that weekend: his fear of leaving the past behind and being alone forever, and her fear of committing to someone for the long haul. It was amazing how fears can be assuaged rather quickly by simply taking a step back and assessing the situation. Ted shook his head, amazed at the ridiculousness that he actually thought he and Robin could have something. He loved her, sure; just not in that way. Definitely not in the way Barney loved her.

And peering down at Tracy, Ted knew: this is what love—true love—could be like. Not a competition, not a challenge, not something he had to prove. Maybe love could actually be this easy.

"Likewise," Tracy told Robin.

"You guys should stop by our place sometime," suggested Robin. "Maybe we can have a quiet double-date at home."

"Oooh, like a game night?" asked Tracy excitedly. "Not to brag, but I am quite the Scrabble champion!" she boasted.

Robin and Barney looked at each other, concerned. "Yeaaaahhhh," said Barney. "Just so you guys know: with Marshall and Lily gone, board games are off the table for the next year. We... just can't take it anymore."

"We'll figure out something to do," Ted assured them. "Goodnight, guys."

Robin and Barney walked away into the night, hand-in-hand, and Ted flagged a cab down for him and Tracy.

"You don't have to take me home, babe," Tracy told him as he held open the car door for her. His heart fluttered at her use of the word 'babe'. "To bring me home and then cab it back to your place, it'll get expensive."

"I want to," Ted told her as they settled into the back seat as the cab started driving off. "I like having this extra time with you. Besides, you are slightly drunk, so I should make sure you get home safe."

Tracy waved her hand dismissively. "This is nothing," she assured him. "Sure, I drank more than I normally do, but I'm just feeling a bit lightheaded and have that warm feeling in my belly. I'm fiiiiine," she slurred.

"Well, fiiiiine," he mimicked her, leaning in for a kiss. He was feeling lightheaded and had a warm feeling in his belly, as well. But it had nothing to do with the alcohol. "I just want to spend the extra time with you, then."

"You're such a romantic," she teased. They proceeded to make out with abandon, Ted realizing that she was more tactile than usual while inebriated. Her hands where pretty much everywhere, and Ted couldn't help but moan softly into her lips.

"Ted," she began softly. And then, when she was suddenly aware of the cab driver in the front, lowered her voice to a whisper. "Do you want to stay over tonight?"

His heart skipped a beat. It was the question he had been waiting for, the permission he was seeking. Ted's body definitely was ready; on any other night, he would've followed her up to her apartment without hesitation. But she had been drinking; he didn't want to take advantage of the situation in any way.

"God, you don't know how bad I want to," he admitted, letting his hands settle on her backside. "But you've had a lot to drink tonight. I can't in good conscience take you to bed for the first time like this. Maybe we can talk about it tomorrow?"

"Fair enough," she said understandingly. She adjusted herself a bit, crawling halfway onto his lap, to look him straight in the eyes. He noticed the softness and sincerity in hers, but also the intense arousal. "But, just so you know: this really isn't the alcohol talking."

Ted gulped; he was going to need another cold shower when he got home. He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair. "I believe you," he reassured her, pressing his forehead onto hers. "But I just want your full, undivided attention when I rock your world. You might miss something amazing in your current state."

"That's quite the promise, Mosby," she said with an impressed raise of her eyebrows, climbing off of him and settling next to him. She yawned, and leaned her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her. "I'll pretty much rock your world, too," she said sleepily.

Ted smiled to himself. "You already have, McConnell," he murmured tenderly into her hair, kissing her temple.

They made it to her building, taking the familiar elevator ride up to the seventh floor.

Tracy unlocked her door and, as they lingered at the threshold—slowly, lazily kissing goodnight—she asked, "So, can I convince you one last time to stay the night?"

Ted groaned. "You're making it very hard for me to walk away," he warned, pressing himself up against her.

"Very hard," she agreed, giggling.

"Get your drunk ass to bed," he growled playfully. "We'll talk about this more next time, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that," she said, pointing a well-manicured finger at him. "Goodnight, Ted."

Ted sighed. "Goodnight, Tracy." She shut her door and he stood there for a couple of minutes, contemplating knocking on her door and taking back every sensible thing he said that night. But he figured his resolve would pay off very soon. He could feel it.